Electric switch



Reb, 26 1924.

l. BERENSQN ELECTRIC swrfrca Fild Feb. 17. 192sl Patented Feb. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES vimlvran'r orifice.

ISRAEL BERENSON, (1F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC swrrcH.

Application led February 17, 1923. Serial No. 513,750..

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, ISRAEL BEnaNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and tate of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to anelectric switch and has for its object lto provide a simple, compact, efiicient mechanism for controlling the various audible and visible signals emplo ed upon motor vehicles.

he invention consistsin the combination and. arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and articularly pointed out in the claims thereof Referring to the drawings:

Fi re 1 is a front elevation of an electri switc11 embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical lorgitudinal section taken on the line 2--2 of ig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the cover plate removed from the base, together with the partsthat are mounted on said cover plate.

Fig. 4 is a `front elevation of the base with the cover plate removed therefrom, to-

gather with the parts that are nlounted on saidbase.

Fig. 5 is a detail transverse section taken on the line 5-'5 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals refer to like arts throughout the several views of the zii-awings.

In the drawings, represents a circular base of insulating material, at the rear of which a hollow post 11 provided with radially arranged arms 12, 13 and 14 is secured by screws 15, 16 and 17, the heads of which constitute Contact points and are located within a chamber 18 provided in the base 10, while the opposite ends of said screws are utilized as binding osts for electric wires 19, 20 and 21 whlcli) connect with electric light bulbs employed in Left Right and Back signs respectively of a traiic signal for a motor vehicle.

A recess 22' is centrally disposed in the base 10 and communicates with the "hamber 18 and rotatably mounted in said recess 22 is a cylindrical metal sleeve 23 upon the interior of which is a core 24 of insulatin material, said core being held within said sleeve b inwardly bent flanges 25 and 26 provide at the front and rear ends respectively of said sleeve. A circular cover plate 27 is provided for the base l0, being fastened to the` front face of said base by screws 28 centrally disposed und Suidy cover plete is provided with u opening 29 extending therethrou h through which the siceve 23 projects. he base 11') also has centrallr7 dis osed opening extending therethrough and) communicating with the recess 22'. The sleeve 23 `forms a part of an electric circuit and is electrically connected 'by u screw to a wire 32, an end of which is secured in o recess 33 provided in 'the insulating core by said screw and said wire extends rearm wardly from the core 24 through the open` ing and post 1l to a suitable location upon the frame of the motor vehicle where it grounded in the usual welikuown manner. Secured to the core 24 in such a manner that it may rotate thereon, move longitudinelly thereof and tip thereon until its rear edge contacts with the front face of the cover plate 27 is a push button 34, the main body portion owhich is pieferably moulded of a suitable insulating material. The push button embodies therein a sleeve 35, one end of which is embedded in the insulating matcral thereof sind a portion of said sieeve which projects rearwardly from said mw terial'constitutes a hub upon lwhich a contact member 36 is mounted. A disc 3T is also mounted upon the hub of the sleeve 35 with a face thereof abutting against the extremity of the contact member 36 and the latter, together with the disc 37, are both securely astened to the sleeve 35 to form theocraplete Rnsh button unit by riveting the er` tremity of the hub of said sleeve over the outer face of said disc as iiiustruted in Fig. 2. The! disc 37 is located within a recess 38 provid in the insulating core 24 and a s rin f 39, one end of which is seated Within tie s eeve 35 und the other ond. of which 4abuts against the bottom of the reces@ 33 acts to force the push button 34 outwardly and hold the disc 37 against a plate 40 which surrounds a hub portion of the Contact meins ber 36 and is always in contact therewith, thereby enabling an electric current to pass therethrough. The plate 4() is placed upon the contact member 36 during the assembling of the parts comprising the usb. button unit and said plate 40 is secured3 to the core 24 by screws 41 and 42. The screw 41 is also utilized to secure a plate 43 in the core 24, said plate 43 having a binding screw .alla

mounted therein to which an electric wire im 45 is attached, said Wire leading to a horn provided for the motor vehicle.

A switch arm 46 is rigidly fastened to the rotatable sleeve 23 in any suitable manner, but preferably t`irough the medium of a forked portion 47 which partially surrounds said-sleeve and is soldered thereto. The switch arm 46 is constructed of resilient ma.- terial and has contact iin ers 48 and 49 formed integral therewith w ich are adapted to engage the Contact screws and 16 re- 'ic spectively when said arm is moved from a neutral position as illustrated in Fig. 1 toward the left or right. The arm 46 projects from the chamber 18 of the base outwardly through an opening 50 formed between the base and cover plate and edges 51 and 52 oi said opening constitute stops to limit the movement of said arm. The arm 46 is provided with a projection 53 formed upon the rear side thereof and when said arm is located in its neutral position said springs rearwardly and the projection 53 enters a notch 54 formed in the base 10 and said arm is therefore securely held in its neutral position. A thumb piece 55 is provided for the outer end of the arm 46.

Another switch arm 56 is pivot-ally mounted at 5? to the base 10 and said arm has a cent-act finger 58 formed 'integral tiierew' 'h which is adapted to engage the Contact screw 1? when said arm is moved trom its neutral position as illustrated in Figs. and 4 toward the right. The arm 5G has thumb piece 59 )cated at its outer extremity and said arm is electrically conneet-ed with. the sleeve 23 through the mei an angular member 60 which is secured between. `the arm 56 and' the base 10 through the medium of the pivot screw 57 end e. portion ci said member 60 always concts with the periphery of the sleeve 23.

i crm projects outwardly from the s 16 oi: the base 10 through an openi 61 formed between said base and the er plate 2'? and edges 62 and 63 of said 6i constitute stops to limit the f it of said arm.

The generati operation of the switch mechanism which is mounted at a convenient 1o-` cation upon a motor vehicle as, for exam le, upon the steering post thereof is as olit is desired to sound the horn of :fue vehicie, the push button 34 is forced rearwardly until the contact member 36 en the trange 25 of the sleeve 23 whereelcctric circuit is completed from 45- through the plate 43, screw 41, contact member 36, sleeve 23, screw ground wire 32 and the horn is, re, sounded. it is desired to illuminate a left traf- .fic signal indicator, the arm 46 is moved toward the lei't of Fig. 1 until it contacts with the stop 51, at which time the contact finger 48 engages the Contact screw 15 and im electric circuit is completed, which includes the wire 19, contact screw 15, contact finger 48 of the arm 46, sleeve 23, screw` 3l and ground wire 32 and the left signal is therefore illuminated.

If it is desired to illuminate a right traffio signal, the arm 46 is moved toward the right of Fic. 1 until it contacts with the stop 52, at which time the contact finger 49 wi l. engage the contact screw 16 thereby completing an electric circuit which includes the wire 20, contact screw 16, contact finger 49 of the arm 46, sleeve 23, screw 31 and ground wire 32 and the right signal is, therefore, illuminated.

When it is desired to illuminate a back traffic signal, the arm 56 is moved toward the right of F ig. 1 until it engages the stop 63 at which time the Contact finger 58 wi l engage the contact screw 17 and an electric circuit is thereby completed which includes the electric wire 2l, contact screw 17, arm 58 of the arm 56, angular member 60, sleeve 23, screw 31 and ground wire 32 and the back indicator is thereby illuminated. lVhen no signals are being iven, the switch arms 46 and 56 are located5T in their neutral posi tions as illustrated in Fig. 1.

I claim:

1 An electric switch comprising, in combination, a base of insulating material, a cover plate for said base, a sleeve mounted to rotate in said base, said sleeve being in circuit with a source of electric supply, a core of insulating material in said sleeve a .push button yieldingly mounted u on sai core and adapted to engage said s eeve to complete an electric circuit therethrough, a Contact point mounted upon said base in circuit with said source of electric supply and an arm in circuit with said sleeve and adapted to engage said contact oint to complete` an electric circuit theret rough.

2. An electric switch comprising, in combination, a. base of insulating material, a cover plate for said base, a sleeve mounted to rotate in said base and cover plate, said sleeve being incircuit with a source of electric supply, a core of insulating material in said sleeve, a ush button ieldingly mounted upon sait? core and a opted to en ngesaid sleeve to complete an electric circuit therethrough, a contact point mounted upon said base in circuit with said source of electric supply and an arm ri idly fastened to and in circuit with said s eeve and adapted to engage said contact point to complete an electric circuit therethrough.

' 3. An electric switch comprising, in combination, a base of insulating material, a cover plate for said base, a sleeve mounted to rotate in said base and cover plate said sleeve being in circuit 'with a source of electric su ply, a core of insulating material in sai sleeve, a 'push button` yieldingly mounted upon said core and adapted to enmamme im electric n un.. ity ci' contact heee, each of said .eeparete elect-ric et eff electric sup and .in cif'cuit with ,ittici te engage one of cie/metete im electric ntl ,crimini arm also ,Te emi adapted to eeritaet peints and l ug, in com :ating materiel7 c e eiceve iinouiited cevcr plate, scid it eem-ce of electieting material "titten yie dingly and ,L Wen esiti cere and sleeve te complete an electric circuit therettueugii, e plureiity of Contact points mounted upcii said bese, each of said contact points being in a Sep" crate electric circuit iiiclung scifi source of electric supply, an erin fest te and in circuit 'with said sleeve, and provided with a plurality of contact fingers adapted te engage certain of said contact points tc complete electric circuits therethrough and e second arm also in circuit with etici sleeve and adapted to engage another cealfl ceiltact points and thereby complete another electric circuit.

In testimony whereof l have heiefatetc set my hand in presence of two subsccieing witnesses.

ISRAEL ERENeeN.

vWitnesses FRANKLIN E. Low, HERMAN R HOFFMAN. 

